A spokesperson for Ryder Cup Europe told the Limerick Leader: “There are several parties who have expressed an interest in hosting The 2026 Ryder Cup, which is testament to the appeal of one of the world’s great sporting occasions.

“It would be inappropriate to comment specifically on these or on the selection process at this time, suffice to say a thorough evaluation is being undertaken. The announcement of the venue for The 2026 Ryder Cup will be made in due course, later this year,” added the spokesperson.

Wentworth – home of the European Tour – is keen to stage the Ryder Cup on the 100th anniversary of the first unofficial match between British and Irish professionals and their counterparts in the US in 1926, which was played at the Surrey Course, according to a report in the Irish Daily Mail.

It is understood that Wentworth, which staged the Ryder Cup in 1953, will point to the fact that the event has not taken place on English soil since The Belfry hosted it in 2002. It has since been staged at The K Club in Kildare in 2006, Celtic Manor in Wales in 2010, Gleneagles in Scotland in 2014 and last year’s staging at Le Golf National in France.

Wentworth did not respond to a request for comment from this newspaper.

Adare Manor is considered to be ahead of Wentworth in terms of its bid planning and preparation and the Limerick course does have government support, who have been in active discussions to host the showpiece event with tour officials.

Tourism Minister Shane Ross said in November: “I can give you an assurance that Adare Manor is certainly in the frame. It’s being looked at as a very serious contender for 2026, that is correct. I can say at the moment that I know of no competitors [in Ireland]. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any, but I know of none at the moment. It’s obviously a wonderful amenity, almost unparalleled in golf around the world.”

Mr McManus, who attended the Ryder Cup in France last year, is intent on hosting the event, it is understood.

“There’s a lot of competition for something like that, we’d only hope that our name would be in the hat,” Mr McManus has said previously, adding: “I think we have the venue, I think we have the facilities, but it’ll need a lot of support apart from that to get something like the Ryder Cup.”

Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn and vice-captain Lee Westwood stayed in the Manor after their heroics in Paris, thanking JP for the privilege at the time. The Adare Manor bid has been backed by former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and star golfer Rory McIlroy.

Meanwhile, film star Samuel L Jackson, has spoken about his desire to return to Limerick for a round of golf, thought to be a reference to the Manor, which he played during the Pro-Am in 2010.

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